Old threads

I would like to suggest that if someone wants to comment on an OLD thread ("what"s your EDC #1,2,3 etc.) That they start a new thread.
Recently this has been happening more and more at ETS.
I welcome ALL newcomers and veterans. I just think we should keep the ideas fresh.
It is lame to wade through so many "dead horses".
I do not mean to offend or attack anyone in particular I am just tired of seeing the same huge old threads at the top.

Thank you for saying this. I've been wondering if it would be better to start a new thread and just put links in the first post to the old ones or dredge up ones that are years old.

Is this generally how everyone feels about this?

Maybe the Admins can make a friendly suggestion and make it a sticky?
I think the link idea is a good way to go. Otherwise one can simply state what thread they were inspired / infuriated by.

Making it sticky means that those who use the expanded view by default have to wade through it every time they log in.

When the list times out on a T1 that has only has five other people on it, the thread is too big and needs to be locked so it can't get worse. And when it is a year old, bumping it is just self gratification, you are forcing everyone to look at what you made so that you can get your happies.

Besides what you said, those of us with sick computers salute you!!!

I agree with you but not as a sticky for the reasons set forth by Ironraven.

I probably have the slowest connection in here or one of them anyway. The huge threads kill me.

I have to respectfully disagree. I'm a member of numerous forums and been a moderator on several of them. In the spirit of being able to find information through the search function, it is much nicer to have all information about a certain topic in one thread about that topic.

The issues that make the above "ideal" scenario complicated are some of the following:

• UBB.threads defaults to a strictly "threaded" view instead of inline. This is about the only forum I've seen that does this, and I changed it simply because it's harder for me to find information and read posts.
• Long threads give people technical errors when viewed. The likely cause is not one's computer, but is probably a fault of either the UBB.threads software or the server itself.
• People do not search for an existing thread before they post a new one. Well, all I can say to that one is "Stop it!"

That's just my view on the subject. Feel free to disagree. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Technical issues aside it is just lame to bump up old threads.
For example the THREE "what is your EDC?" Threads.
Who cares anymore? This subject has been beaten to death on many related forums; in fact there is now a whole new website dedicated to the subject.
If you want to cruise the archives fine; I do it all the time but I don't add my comments to the thread from 2005. This is just self gratification. It is like showing up to a party a day after and expecting everyone to still be there. You missed it now move on.
Don't even get me started about folks who bump their old tired threads.
There are some here that to participate in a forum means "pay attention to me!"

Thanks JC

I do agree with you that it is lame to bump up old threads in certain cases. Worst case scenario for me is clicking on a thread because it has a new post and seeing "bump". That's just utterly useless and a waste of every forum member's time in my opinion.

Adding useful information to an old thread is a case by case basis, however. If it's an old thread that stayed on topic that just seemed to wither and die for a while, then adding related information is fine. Even brown crusty plants can come back to life by just adding water! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> If it's a thread that somehow had its topic abruptly derailed or migrated slowly to a completely different topic, then adding another post related to the original topic just throws everything off balance.

Should there ever be three threads of the same thing all right next to each other at the top? Absolutely not.

Basic gist of it is the same as life's: Everything in moderation. Basic rule of a forum: Try to place your post where it makes the most logical sense (keeping in mind that "bump" makes no logical sense).

I did like the "what have you done this week" thread. I've seen similar on a couple other smaller forums. I try set weekly/monthly/yearly goals for various aspects of preparedness but its too easy to forget/be too busy doing other things and not keep them. It adds a little bit more accountability when you know your posting public and someone just might be notice that you haven't updated lately. Maybe we should split that thread off by month and lock the old ones after that month has passed.

"The likely cause is not one's computer, but is probably a fault of either the UBB.threads software or the server itself."

If that were the case then it would be more consistent across everyones computer. My guess would be an issue with dial up connections only?
I'm on a capped 512k cable connection which is relatively slow by todays standards and don't have any long thread problems.

Ditto. I think long threads should get a new thread spawned off periodically and the old thread locked, but I'm much rather have three controlled threads about a topic rather than 30 little ones scattered here and there.

-john

I think this is unfair. Basically you are saying the new kids can't play because they got here a year later than other people (or whatever).

You are also saying people's EDC doesn't change or that people don't care how it has changed.

Lock the first two parts and let them post in part #3. You don't have to look at it if you don't want.

If part #3 gets too full, lock it and break it off into part #4.

Put links in each back (and forward) to the other threads and the problem is solved.

-john

If this is the case, the thread probably should have gotten locked instead, or if the capability exists, the thread split.

-john

personally I think it is a tired subject that is chocking out new threads.
It is basically "show and tell".

I suspect it is a combination of speed and how people have their display preferences set.

I have mine set to:

default aged threads: show all threads
default sort order: descending date
default display mode: flat
default view: collapsed
parent posts to show per page: 10 (default)
total posts to show on one page: 100 (default)

For people on slow connections, they could lower the last entry.

When I view the forum, I see the number of new replies in the "Replies" column in red. If I click on that topic, it takes me to the new post. Since I am viewing in flat mode, it only has to render the number of posts as noted with "total posts to show on one page:".

With this setup, I don't see any reason that dial up people should be overly handicapped by large threads. You need not see the whole thread in order to see the new post(s).

-john

Ok, that's cool. Don't look. ;-)

-john

Mine are left at whatever the defaults are.

Someone mentioned the possibility of seperating into sub forums. We could slipt out into "EDC", "gear", "skills", "survival sotries", etc. Maybe a show and tell forum for listing your edc or posting pictures of new gear you just bought. Could appoint a moderator of each subforum to help move the posts.

I have once suggested the splitting ( but keeping total number of sub-forums at the present number of 5 or so).

However, if splitting is not considered an option ( as we have seen before ), I like the " new thread with a link to the earlier one" suggestion. That keeps the option for "archaeological scavengers" to look at old stuff, while at the same time leaving others the freedom to move on at the right speed.

just my 2 ¢